


Somnus

by Caidh



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Best Friends, Coming of Age, Depression, Drama, Friendship, Gen, Insomnia, Sick Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 07:54:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18464707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caidh/pseuds/Caidh
Summary: Noctis, Ignis and Gladio have been friends since childhood. They laugh together, they cry together. From one day to the next, nothing is the same as it used to be - and the close bond that connects the three threatens to break.





	Somnus

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Somnus](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/472936) by Caidh. 



_Names... Names are sound and smoke. Over time, people forget names, and when they do remember them, they hardly find a shadow in their memory, just a hint of existence. But names define so much more than most people understand. Somnus for instance... Somnus means sleep. But Somnus also means peace. Willingness to help. Balance. Adaptability. Shyness. Consideration. Love of detail._

_Fear of change..._

_Noctis. Night. Caelum. Heaven. Lucis. Of light. The lights. Light in the night sky._

_Gladiolus. Small sword. Amicitia. Friendship. Sword of friendship._

_Ignis. Fire. Scientia. Knowledge. The fire of knowledge._

_Prompto. Determined. Be ready. Quickly. Argentum. Silver. Fast silver._

_In the beginning, there were only three of us. Three children who didn't care what fate had in store for them, but hoped that their favorite food would be on the table in the evening. Three children who didn't understand that everything around them was just to prepare them for the most difficult task of their lives. Three children, like three brothers who lived into the day, light-hearted, as if everything were just a game; as if life were an eternal gift, filled with laughter and adventure._

_But then something happened that tore us out of our happiness, threw us into the clutches of destiny and made us doubt ourselves. This threatened to tear us and our friendship to pieces._

_Let us tell about it. But be warned. It is not a beautiful story, but one full of pain, fear, and sacrifice. It is a story that has made us who we are today._

_To a night sky filled with light. To a sword that defends our friendship. To a burning flame in the darkness. For you the name Somnus may have only one meaning. Sleep. Somnus means everything to us. But above all one thing..._

_Fear of change._

Crickets chirped lazily in the summer heat of a day that was slowly coming to an end. A whiff of wind drove through the long blades of grass and their rubbing against each other produced a sound of vastness. Ignis looked up from his book, closed his eyes and enjoyed a moment of silence. Far away was the noise of cars. Far away was the crash in the branches of the trees above him. Only the soft rustle of the wide, wildly grown green sea in front of him, that he let enter his consciousness. _How beautiful something so simple is._ He took a deep breath and stopped it to let the moment last a little while longer. 

Then another sound came to his ears. A rattling, a piping noise deep inside of him. He had to cough and it didn't sound very appetizing. For days he had been struggling with the symptoms of summer flu and had reached the point where he was regularly shaken by coughing attacks. Unpleasant, he thought, as he had to cough twice more until he no longer felt his chest was about to explode. 

"Everything okay?" came out of the tree above him, against which he leaned with his back. Between some branches, Gladios face appeared, sweaty and smeared. Somehow the boy with the stubborn, black fuzzy hair always looked sweaty and smeared lately. 

"Yes, thank you," Ignis replied with a smile as he wiped his hand on the blanket he was sitting on. 

"Don't say thank you when someone wants to know if you're throwing up your lungs," Gladio replied with a laugh and disappeared again from Ignis' field of vision. 

The younger one reached into a plastic bowl, lost in thought, to grab a carrot and nibble at it while he picked up the book again. He wanted to finish the chapter so that he could make a summary later. _You never know what you'll need it for. At the latest for exams, yes._ He nodded his head thoughtfully and continued reading. 

Ignis was satisfied. He had no reason to complain. Well, the cold didn't have to be - but it didn't stop him from roaming the parks with his friends. The other two scrambled through the trees in search of the ideal place for a wooden hut, regularly raining chips and leaves down on him. If he was honest... he was even quite happy about the cough. It allowed him to stay down and not to mess up from top to bottom. 

He grinned. Once again they had snuck out of the palace and would be in need of explanation on their return as usual. Perhaps this time it was an advantage that he was not dirty. Then he could secretly run away without having to catch the storm as usual. However, his thoughts drifted away from the letters in front of his nose, _the king is milder when he knows that I was there. And it's not a school day anyway. So why be angry when we'd rather be outside than indoors?_  

He closed the book and put it on his legs. They have had holidays for while now. They wanted to enjoy it before the trot of school and study started again. Ignis had passed his year-end examination in spring with flying colors and had been attending secondary school for a few months. He went to a private school for the highly gifted since his arrival in Insomnia. That didn't stop him from skipping two classes already. The others, of course, teased him. Gladio would finish his last half year at primary school in August. Noctis had a little longer ahead of him. The two did well, but they were not first-class students. 

Ignis was considered an eccentric even at his school because he spoke differently. His dialect was suspect to the others, sometimes he expressed himself quite complicated. _Gladio calls that ass-stocky._ It was said that he was a know-it-all, stubborn and snobbish. _Gladios often invented a mishmash of words, which was supposed to say as much as 'Royal Highness of Arrogance'_. Besides, Ignis didn't understand the concept of sarcasm, but he always managed to amaze the teachers with his dry and unintentionally funny comments. There was no one who wanted to meet with him after class, and in the lunch break, he usually sat alone. That was okay, he thought. He was used to being alone from that time; before Insomnia. 

He also had two friends 'at home' who kept him sufficiently busy. That was enough. Noctis always dragged him along on his explorations. _Although... I actually let myself be dragged. Somebody has to take care of him. Especially when Gladi is there..._ Gladio was one year older than Ignis, Noctis two years younger. The two did nothing better than to concoct mischief. 

The two of them loved nothing more than to concoct mischief. And Ignis was somehow always the one who had to pay for it. Of course, he was also the sensible one, with his well combed brown hair, the accurate fold in his school uniform and the always shiny polished glasses. 

Noctis and Gladio took him as he was, without ifs, without buts. In return, he took them as they were. Noctis, of royal blood, the heir to the throne without any royal restraint or manners. They liked to call him royal impudence, _another invention of young Amicitia._ And Gladio, son of the king's bodyguard. Loud, fiery, uncomfortable, direct and at the same time extremely hearty - when he let somebody get to him. They were a trio of loners who had met in the right place at the right time. It just fitted. That was five years ago. 

The king called them infernal bands of rascals when they stood in front of him after their excursions and he looked at them with a thoughtful smile. Sometimes they came back to the citadel, covered all over with dust. Sometimes with mud. There were bruises as good as ever. From time to time also cuts and scratches.

 And then the king grounded Noctis and Ignis, each with his own punishment. The prince had to spend most of the time learning. Ignis was banned from telescoping. Noctis was always moping because he did not consider the punishment of his friend as equal. For Ignis, however, it was a small end of the world. The king knew exactly how much the boy loved to play around with the telescope in the library at night and look at the stars. 

Of course, Regis saw through him; when Ignis stood in front of the other two and said that everything had been his idea. Ignis knew that. At the latest when the king approached the boy and regretfully laid his hand on his shoulder after he had issued the suspension. His voice always resonated with pity. But punishment had to be even. 

Ignis sighed. He still had five days of telescope ban. And there would probably be two more weeks after that. If this continued, he would touch the device the next time he was of age. Gladio had it good in comparison. He didn't live in the palace, so it was up to his father Clarus to react appropriately. The reaction consisted of additional sword training. Gladio loved training. _So much for punishment..._

It crashed again in the tree above him. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh", he heard Noctis calling and then Gladio shouting "ahhhhhhhnoctnooo". A dry creaking sounded, then it rained splinters of wood and with a rumbling Gladio landed at Ignis' feet. A moment later Noctis rumbled on Gladios back with a "uuuffffff". 

Ignis laughed loudly and was again shaken by a rattling cough. He wouldn't have reacted like that before. Previously, he would have jumped up in a panic to make sure that no one was seriously injured. By now, he knew that any falls from a height of fewer than two meters to something softer than concrete or stone would not cause much more than a few bumps. And if something worse should happen... well, during one of her numerous visits to the palace's own infirmary, he had stolen a Hi-Elixir at some point. Just in case of an emergency, of course! 

"Boah Noct, get off me," Gladio grumbled into the blanket and tried to roll out under the other one. "My music bone," he whined lying on his back and rubbed his arm. 

"I don't even know what your matter is, everything is great," the prince replied with a chuckle and then looked over at the wildly coughing Ignis. "Well, apart from the fact that we broke Specs." He crawled to his friend on all fours and put his hand on his shoulder. "Everything out what doesn't pay rent." 

Ignis gasped and took off his glasses to wipe the tears out of his eyes. "I'll take acrobat off your career list," he gasped with a bright red face. 

Gladio raised his head. "Shit, all that's left are ice cream sellers, bricklayers or insurance dudes." He laughed squeaking, sat up and looked up into the tree. "I'd say it wasn't suitable for a secret hideout." 

"Mission failed," Noctis diagnosed dryly. "Once again." He discovered Ignis' vegetable bowl and took a look inside, not without disgustedly distorting his face. "Ew, don't you have anything decent to nibble on?" 

"Do you have to say, you glutton." 

"I'm just such a sweetie," sulked Noctis. 

Ignis looked at his watch and sighed, "There'll be dinner soon anyway." Then he reached into his pocket, fumbled for the elixir and on until his fingers touched a bag. He grabbed it and threw the half-filled bag of roasted peanuts into Noctis' lap. 

"Wohooo, I knew you would not disappoint me," he shouted and ripped open the bag to shove a handful of its contents into his mouth. 

"Hey, if you're already using me as a trampoline, at least give me something, douche." Gladio boxed Noctis in the side so that he dropped himself laughing. 

"It's getting dark," the prince murmured as he shoved one peanut after the other in and looked at the sky above them. "Do you miss that?" he asked quietly. 

"Hm?" replied Ignis, who had managed to save one last carrot from Gladio and bit into it heartily. 

"You still have a telescope ban from the last time, Iggy." 

"Hrm," he replied chewing. "Hmm yeah." 

"Sorry." 

"Don't worry, I still have eyes in my head," he replied after a swallow. 

"Double eyes kinda," Gladio added with a grin, tearing the bag from Noctis' hand.

"Hey, those are mine, don't eat them all," Noctis muttered offended and rolled onto his stomach. 

Gladio stopped and laughed as he turned the empty bag over. "Too late, our Highness Monsieur Gourmand has already stuffed everything into himself." His stomach growled to confirm the drama. 

Noctis and Ignis looked at each other and giggled. 

"Say, Gladi," said the prince, "don't want to stay overnight in the palace? There's plenty of room for both of you in my room. Could tell horror stories." 

"Could do something for Iggy..." Gladio mumbled and grinned at Noctis. "Deal, just ask my father. And I'm sure I'll find him with yours." Full of new energy he jumped up. "C' mon, pack it up. He who is last in the greenhouse must put a butler's leg." 

"Errr, hello? The award for unfairness to you?" grumbled Ignis, who put the plastic bowl in his pocket and chased Noctis from the blanket. 

"Huh, why?" asked Gladio, who couldn't resist a big grin. 

Ignis stared at him. " Because I have a cough and so on," he replied, uncertain whether Gladio had meant his question only rhetorically. 

"And we fell off the tree," he replied laughing. "Don't worry, Iggsybigsy." He approached his friend and fluffed through his outrageously tidy hair. "No race... Well, not that you're not used to losing." He giggled and caught an elbow kick in his ribs. "Ow, you can keep your pointed bones with you." 

Noctis giggled into the blanket he had folded and stuffed it into Ignis' pocket. "Maybe we can get in unseen and nobody's mad." 

Ignis reached for his bag and trotted after them. "What have you done so nobody notices you're gone?" 

"Yaaaha", Noctis shouted triumphantly, turned around and walked a little backward. "Pillow under the blanket. Then they think I am snoozing." 

"One of your superpowers," Gladio said with a cackle. "Sleeping."

Ignis nodded approvingly. After all, he had brought Noctis so far as to think about averting damage before his adventure tours - quite apart from the fact that he would feel much more comfortable if they simply told their whereabouts. But then they always had a pack of escorts on their buttocks. Anything potentially dangerous was forbidden to them. The problem was that anything that could be potentially dangerous was potentially fun. Even he realized that. They just had to be children from time to time. That's why Noctis was such a big fan of secretly and quietly getting out of the citadel. 

It wasn't long before they came to the greenhouse on the west side of the palace and there were still no Crown Guards looking for them. Ignis' hope rose that they would not have to take any blame this time. They climbed through a leaning window in the back corner of the greenhouse, which adults never noticed because a large bush grew in front of it. Gladio and Noctis ducked behind the rhododendron to see if it was clear. "No one to see," Noctis whispered, waving to Ignis. They came out of the bushes in a very cozy way and jumped onto the gravel path that led between the tropical trees and brought them to the paved main path. 

"Wait," Ignis mumbled, pulling out a clean handkerchief. "Wipe your face." 

Noctis grabbed the lavender-scented cloth and rubbed it over his cheeks. 

He passed it on to Gladio, who looked at it skeptically. "I'm not going to wipe your slutty dirt in my face." Instead, he pulled up his shirt and rubbed it over his head. Noctis shrugged his shoulders and gave Ignis back the cloth that he shoved into his pocket. "Now just come to my room," said the prince and started moving again. 

"Where were we actually? Officially?" Ignis asked while they were walking side by side down the corridor through the royal quarters and turned into another side corridor. 

Noctis sighed, "You must always have a plan B, too, huh?" 

"I'm just thinking..." 

"There's nobody here," Noctis replied, turning to Ignis and putting his hand on the door handle. "So we don't need a plan B." He pushed the door to his room open. He just turned his head when a "plouf" escaped him because he ran into someone. Gladio and Ignis, who had been right behind him, rammed one after the other into the prince. 

"Oh oh", he murmured. He knew the smell of the person standing in front of him. And also the shoes he saw. And the jacket. He looked up. "Hi, Dad."


End file.
